BATTLE GROUND — The Skyview softball team expected to be facing senior pitcher Mallory Meyer for the battle of unbeatens against Battle Ground in the 4A/3A Greater St. Helens League on Wednesday.
Instead, the Storm faced sophomore Rylee Rehbein. And that was not good news for Skyview.
Rehbein pitched a two-hit shutout, striking out 12 and walking none as the Tigers beat Skyview 3-0 to improve to 6-0.
“She’s incredibly good,” Battle Ground coach Jeremy Barr said of Rehbein. “She hasn’t got a lot of opportunity to pitch this year because we are so deep in our pitching and we try to get a lot kids innings. She’s just dynamite. She’s a spark on both sides of the ball, and the job she does in the circle is just incredible.”
Rehbein credited her improving riseball for her success against the Storm, but also her teammates’ on-field enthusiasm.
“Honestly, just keeping the energy up over anything,” Rehbein said. “Having those girls support me and constantly having their energy as well. We were facing a really good team, so their energy with the adrenaline just worked really well.”
Meyer provided the first spark with her bat, belting a solo home run in the second inning.
In the third, Rehbein got things going with a single, then came around to score of Emma Elliott’s triple. Candace Adams’ RBI single made it 3-0.
“We always seem to have some big rally and someone kind of busts it open, then everyone follows along,” Rehbein said. “It’s really fun.”
And it’s also fun having a teammate like Meyer to share the pitching circle, she said. Meyer was the 4A GSHL pitcher of the year as a sophomore two years ago.
“If I’m having a bad day or whatever, I know she has my back,” Rehbein said. “And same with her. I’ll always have her back.”
Rehbein didn’t need much help on Wednesday. Barr said he was eager to give the sophomore a chance to show what she could do against a team like Skyview.
“She’s worked hard, and she deserved the opportunity,” Barr said. “And with the staff we have, it’s nice to be able to bounce through a couple of pitchers, then still have one like Rylee who can mix her pitches up as well as she does, keep hitters off-balance, and hitting her spots. It’s awesome to have.”
And leaves the Tigers to wonder just how good they could have been this season if they had a chance to measure up with other teams in the state.
“As well as the team did under (Arielle) Wiser’s leadership two years ago at state, and as good as the team could have been last year and how good these kids compete this year, it’s definitely a bummer not to see that opportunity (to go to state) at the end of the season. But these kids are just so grateful to have an opportunity to play, so we’re seeing their best on every pitch.”
Rehbein said: “We’re all a little upset that we won’t get state this year. But that’s why we take every game like it’s our state championship. And we all play like that, and it makes it just as fun.”
BATTLE GROUND 3, SKYVIEW 0
Skyview 000 000 0—0 2 1
Battle Ground 012 000 x—3 7 3
Skyview
Pitching — Addie MacPherson 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 8 K, 1 BB, loss. Highlights — Kya Jenkins 2-3.
Battle Ground
Pitching — Rylee Rehbein 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 12 K, 0 BB, win. Highlights — Rehbein 2-3, run, 2B; Emma Elliott 2-3, run, 3B, RBI; Candace Adams 1-3, RBI; Mallory Meyer 2-2, HR, RBI, BB.
